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Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) is the common term for the policy restricting the United States military from efforts to discover or reveal closeted gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members or applicants, while barring those who are openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual from military service. On December 18, 2010, Don't Ask, Don't Tell was repealed. Influence On September 12, 2010, Lady Gaga showed up at the MTV Video Music Awards with four special guests who were discharged from the force for their lifestyle. Gaga posted a video on her official YouTube channel on September 16, 2010, the video was a message from Gaga to the US Senate. The day after, "TheReal_JakeK" started a Twitition to help Gaga's goal of repealing the policy. :"SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN is attempting to stop the DON'T ASK DON'T TELL repeal vote this tuesday, with a filibuster. A Filibuster is a way to obstruct the Senate Floor from discussing or voting on a given LAW, + is essentially a tactic to hijack our debate. All hands on deck Lil Monsters: Key senate vote this Tues. on #DADT... repeal. We need 60 senators. Those who support Lady Gaga and her fight to repeal against Senator McCain sign this petition!!" Gaga To my fellow Americans, the senate, senators Poop Face McGree, Arizona, Mitch McConnell, Kentucky, James Inhofe, Oklahoma, Jeff Sessions, Alabama and youth all over the world who are watching. Don't Ask Don't Tell is a law that was created in 1993 that prevents gays from serving openly in the military. Since then 14,000 Americans have been discharged from the armed forces, refused the right to serve their country and sent home, regardless of honorable service or how valuable they were to their units. 400 soldiers under President Obama's administration, alone, were discharged under Don't Ask Don't Tell. Advocacy by organizations such as the SLDN, the Service Members Legal Defense Network have shown the inconsistent and unconstitutional enforcement of this law. Don't Ask Don't Tell, asks that serving gay and lesbian soldiers hide and keep private their sexual orientation. Under the protection and the promise that the government will ask them to tell or disclose their sexuality. SLDN's advocacy proves that these soldiers are being searched. Superior's are going through their emails and private belongings. Calling family members and operating based on assumptions. Ultimately, the law is being enforced using gay profiling. And gay soldiers have become targets. In short, not only is the law unconstitutional, but it's not even being properly or fairly enforced by the government. Our fight is the continuum of the ever present equal right movement. Everyday, we fight to abolish laws that harbor hatred and discrimination against all people. Laws that infringe on our civil liberties. Unfair laws like Don't Ask Don't Tell were put in place to eliminate friction in violence but in the end only delay the process of ending this most serious prejudice. I am here to be a voice not the generation of the senators who are voting, but for the youth of this country, the generation that is affected by this law and whose children will be affected. We are not asking you to agree with or approve the moral implications of homosexuality; we're asking you to do your job, to protect the constitution. As majority leader Harry Reid said "Anyone who is willing to fight for this country should have the same civil opportunities to do so as anyone else". It is my belief that no one person is more valuable than another. Air Force Major Mike Almy was discharged under Don't Ask Don't Tell while serving six years in Iraq and a total of thirteen years in the Air Force. I spent some time with him recently talking about his story with other soldiers, he said to me "During my time in the Air Force, when I fought for my country, I never identified myself as anything other than a soldier". Just like you Senator McCain, a distinguished veteran who loves his country, Mike would of done anything during his time of duty to protect America. Sergeant First Class Stacy Vasquez, after twelve years of service was outed by the wife of cadet to whom she gave a negative reports based on his bad performance in the unit. West Point Cadet Katie Miller opted to leave West Point Academy because she felt pressured to mask her identity in school. The most shocking discovery discovery for me was to hear them all say, how much they missed serving and protecting our nation. How they joined the Armed Forces because the believe in America. Senators when you are sending our men and women into war, when you sending are wives, husbands, sons and daughters into combat will you honor their service. Will you support repealing this law on Tuesday and pledge to them that no American's life is more valuable than another. For those watching that would like to reach out their senators and ask for their vote to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell, you can log on to www.sldn.org/gaga or you can call 202-224-3121 like I'm going to do, right now. Operator Good afternoon. Gaga Can I please be transferred to Chuck Schumer's office? Operator Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice message system. The mail box belonging to senators Schumer's office is full. Goodbye. Gaga I have called both of the Senators, that operate in my district, I will not stop calling until I reach them and I can leave them this message. I am a constituent I am a constituent of the senator, my name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, also known as Lady Gaga. I'm calling to ask the senator to vote with Senators Harry Reid and Carl Levin to repeal Don't Ask Dont Tell and oppose John McCain's shameless filibuster. We need to do this for our gay and lesbian soldiers, and finally repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. Try calling after 9am tomorrow morning. I'll be on the phone too. Thank you. God bless. On September 20, 2010, Gaga headlined a Monday rally in Portland, Maine to support the repeal of the policy. The rally, started at 4 p.m. in Deering Oaks Park, and was organized by the Service Members Legal Defense Network. While at the rally, Gaga gave a twenty minute speech regarding her stance, titled, Prime Rib of America. :“''I’m here because ‘Don’t ask, Don’t tell’ is wrong, it’s unjust and fundamentally it is against all that we stand for as Americans.” On September 20, the Senate voted against the bill, and upon hearing the news, Gaga released a statement expressing her disappointment. Related Tweets ::"''http://twitpic.com/2ocx9i - Gay Veterans were my VMA dates. Repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. CALL HARRY REID to Schedule Senate Vote" ::6:48 AM Sep 14th via Twitter for BlackBerry® ::"HarryReid .@ladygaga There is a vote on #DADT next week. Anyone qualified to serve this country should be allowed to do so http://bit.ly/9ucdIj #nvsen" ::9:19 AM Sep 14th via HootSuite|Retweeted by ladygaga and 100+ others ::"God Bless and Thank you @HarryReid, from all of us, like u, who believe in equality and the dream of this country. We were #BORNTHISWAY." ::12:34 PM Sep 14th via Twitter for BlackBerry® ::"SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN is attempting to stop the DON'T ASK DON'T TELL repeal vote this tuesday, with a filibuster." ::3:09 PM Sep 16th via Twitter for BlackBerry® ::"A Filibuster is a way to obstruct the Senate Floor from discussing or voting on a given LAW, + is essentially a tactic to hijack our debate." ::3:13 PM Sep 16th via Twitter for BlackBerry® ::"All hands on deck Lil Monsters: Key senate vote this Tues. on #DADT repeal. We need 60 senators. Call your senator now: http://bit.ly/aBZMSJ" ::3:16 PM Sep 16th via Twitter for BlackBerry® ::"Little Monsters #makeyourownvideos if u believe in #equalrights and want the Senate to #repealDADT. Tweet me your video and I will post them" ::2:01 AM Sep 17th via Twitter for BlackBerry® ::"A Message to the US Senate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG5VK2lquEc" ::3:03 AM Sep 17th via web ::"Support @ladygaga and fight against the abolishment of the 'DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL' law ... http://twitition.com/vzkp6 @TheReal_JakeK" ::3:52 AM Sep 17th via Twitition ::"A Message from Lady Gaga to the US Senate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG5VK2lquEc" ::3:58 AM Sep 17th via Twitter for BlackBerry® ::"@ChuckSchumer@SenGillibrand Thankyou for responding, it means so much that you support us on this issue. Let's get this passed. Talk monday?" ::10:50 AM Sep 17th via Twitter for BlackBerry® ::"To @SenJohnMcCain and everyone on Twitter I received an overwhelming amount of videos responding to DADT, please watch: http://bit.ly/cWAITv" ::8:10 PM Sep 18th via web ::"Meet me in Portland, Maine 2moro, 9/20 to help repeal #DADT. I'm holding a Rally + speaking live in Deering Oaks Park http://bit.ly/cO4cY9" ::4:19 PM Sep 19th via Twitter for BlackBerry® ::"On my way to Deering Oaks Park, I have been writing my repeal #DADT rally address for 48hrs. It's called "THE PRIME RIB OF AMERICA."" ::1:00 PM via web ::"Live stream of the #DADT rally: http://bit.ly/9KNMrH" ::2:27 PM via web ::"Watch my #DADT address "The Prime Rib of America" here: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=11685268&affil=blog" ::4:02 PM via Twitter for BlackBerry® ::"PLEASE WATCH MY FULL address to Repeal DADT on CNN.com. RT http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/20/gaga.gays.military/index.html?hpt=C2" ::7:40 PM via web ::"@senjohnmccain the language in defense bill says it will not enforce DADT repeal until pentagon review + president signs. Why block debate?" ::11:35 AM via web ::"A message from Gaga http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McEbJPuLUIw" ::6:22 PM via web ::"Can't hold back the tears+pride. We did it!i Our voice was heard + today the Senate REPEALED DADT. A triumph for equality after 17 YEARS." ::12:27 PM via web ::"Today I am so proud to be American. I wish I was home so I could throw a Parade. We are on the way...to full equal http://twitpic.com/3h99w1" ::4:48 PM ago via Twitpic Images 9-12-10_Terry_Richardson_018.jpg|Gaga's guests (2010 VMAs) DADT_Gaga.jpg|Gaga's video to the government 9-16-10 Terry Richardson 003.jpg Arrival.jpg|Arrival at "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" rally DADT 2.jpg|"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" rally DADT 3.jpg DADT 4.jpg DADT 5.jpg DADT 6.jpg DADT 7.jpg DADT_rally_Lady_Gaga.jpg Speech1.jpg Category:Related to Lady Gaga